[Asia Exclusive] Chairman Kim Jin-kyung: "Education System Reform Needed to Reduce Gap Between Reality and System"

Presidential National Education Council

Teachers Only Delivering Knowledge
No Longer Significantly Meaningful

Remote Classes During the COVID Era
System Weaknesses Clearly Exposed
Collapse of Middle-Tier Students

Kim Jin-kyung, Chairperson of the Presidential National Education Council, is being interviewed by Asia Economy on the 22nd of last month. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Interview = Shin Beom-su, Head of Social Affairs Department at Asia Economy, Organized by Lee Hyun-joo, Reporter] "In the past, an important role of schools was the transmission of knowledge. Jobs were determined based on the level of knowledge attained. But now, the connection between education and occupation has collapsed. Getting into a good university no longer guarantees a better job. Therefore, schools must help students develop motivation and will for their own lives. Although reality has changed, teachers still do not recognize how far their roles should extend and which parts need readjustment. The gap between reality and the system must be reduced through systemic reform."

Kim Jin-kyung, Chairperson of the Presidential National Education Council, recently diagnosed that the weaknesses of the Korean education system were blatantly exposed due to remote classes. She analyzed that the period for reform was missed while teachers in schools no longer had significant roles in knowledge delivery, leading to the collapse of the middle-tier students. Kim said, "Still, for middle-ranking students, teachers played a certain role in classrooms to guide their learning, but under the COVID-19 situation, remote classes completely failed to perform this function." She emphasized, "Although the educational environment has changed significantly, the education system still follows the industrial-era top-down model. Since the structure of adopting Western educational theories or models and imposing them from the center has not changed, the field cannot change at all."

Kim has been leading the National Education Council for three years. The National Education Council is currently preparing for the establishment of the 'National Education Committee,' for which a bill has been proposed. At the same time, as a presidential advisory body, it leads discussions on educational innovation and mid- to long-term education policies. We met Chairperson Kim at her office in the Government Seoul Office Building. The conversation covered what will change in our education after the establishment of the National Education Committee and where education should head in the post-COVID era.

- Why is the National Education Committee needed now?

▲ Although reform has been talked about, nothing has actually changed in schools. This is because fundamental institutional reform has not occurred for 25 years. As elections approach, politicians calculate votes and back down, so the teacher training system and curriculum have not changed at all. The industrialized education system, which operates as a top-down structure centered on a few experts, is deeply entrenched in reality. A new system that can balance and adjust this is necessary. As seen during the COVID-19 phase, there is no Western model left for us to follow.

- What specific roles can the National Education Committee play?

▲ The National Education Committee has two main tasks. One is to establish plans on a ten-year basis, and the other is to mediate potentially conflicting issues. The National Education Committee system will operate with a structure that collects opinions from the bottom up. The committee members will be broadly composed to include not only public officials and experts but also representatives from basic local government councils, students, and parents. The National Education Council, established in 2018, is testing 'deliberative democracy,' where diverse groups find solutions through discussion. For example, the 2022 university admission system reform direction was decided based on two rounds of deliberation involving about 500 citizen participants. During that process, many questions arose about ways to reduce the side effects of the student record comprehensive screening (Hakjong). On the 26th of this month, a focused deliberation began to explore the development direction of the teacher training system. Thirty-two participants attended, including representatives recommended by education offices, teacher organizations, prospective teacher groups, teacher training institutions, as well as experts from various social sectors such as population, finance, science and technology, industry and labor, culture and arts, and citizens. After a nationwide public opinion survey and an online deliberation group (about 300 citizens) next month, a final decision will be made.

Establishing 10-year plans and mediating conflicts
Roles of the National Education Committee

No major disagreement between ruling and opposition parties on reform
Long-term plans will continue despite regime changes
Public discussion on private university reform also planned

- Long-term plans can change depending on the administration. How is the independence of the National Education Committee guaranteed?

▲ In fact, education reform is an area where there is not much difference between ruling and opposition parties. There may be disagreements about how far to push autonomy, but the education system reform itself has not changed significantly before regime changes. Also, I believe the practical independence depends on how extensive the network of the National Education Committee is.

- Won't there be overlap with the Ministry of Education's work?

▲ Once the National Education Committee is established, the first task will be to create a reorganization plan for the Ministry of Education. For example, since education in the kindergarten, elementary, and secondary levels has grown significantly, these could be revitalized at the basic local government level and incorporated into the National Education Committee. Personally, I think the higher vocational education sector could be separated entirely and merged with employment under the Ministry of Employment and Labor, reorganized through something like a Human Resources Committee that sufficiently reflects reality. A comprehensive organizational restructuring based on our reality, not following foreign models, toward an open structure is needed. Usually, ministry reorganizations happen early in a regime, so even if the National Education Committee is established, it will be difficult immediately. If the bill passes smoothly, after preparation, the National Education Committee could launch around the second half of next year.

Kim Jin-kyung, Chairperson of the National Education Council, is being interviewed by Asia Economy on the 22nd. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

- Will private university reform also be discussed?

▲ Currently, the proportion of private universities is too high. Private universities account for 80% of four-year universities and over 90% of junior colleges, and the fact that junior colleges, which focus on vocational education, are private is problematic. As Korea rapidly expanded, the demand for higher-level human resources gradually increased, and the state brought in private capital to meet the growing demand. During the Syngman Rhee administration, when demand for secondary education increased, land reform law benefits were given; during the Park Chung-hee administration, vocational high schools and junior colleges were given tax exemption benefits if incorporated into foundations; and during the Kim Young-sam administration, the establishment criteria were expanded amid university demand expansion. Now, as the population declines, private universities in rural areas are facing difficulties. They absolutely avoid closure because if closed, the educational foundation's assets revert to the national treasury. Therefore, it is necessary to temporarily open a path for restructuring that allows recovery of initial investment costs. Also, private universities have opaque accounting, so the Ministry of Strategy and Finance is reluctant to invest taxes, but this can be resolved legally. These roles face resistance, so no one has done them. The National Education Committee can publicize and lead discussions on these issues if certain conditions are met, so it is expected to solve even politically difficult parts.

- Would it be possible to take over failing private universities and convert them into public universities, like public healthcare and public hospital policies?

▲ University restructuring should not be done uniformly from the center. Regional governance should enter as a regional innovation platform and be built together with local governments. Regional university restructuring is linked to regional industries. It must be discussed deeply at the regional level, and attempts must be responsibly involved. It is not just about injecting money; discussions can lead to strengthening publicness. The central government should act as a control tower that collects demands related to higher vocational education human resource training and supply in all areas and connect regional units into a responsible structure. Only then can the inefficient university system be organized.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.